


Coldly, Cruelly

by CountDorku



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Gen, Guilt, In which Shadow Weaver is worse than usual somehow, Mentioned Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra), Not Beta Read, Sad, We Die Like Men, and she's not even in it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:48:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21906232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CountDorku/pseuds/CountDorku
Summary: Having been freed from her oubliette, Adora sets forth to overthrow the queen she once loved.With thanks to planetundersiege for writing _vermin_ and inspiring this, then giving me permission to publish it.
Relationships: Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 26





	Coldly, Cruelly

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [vermin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21899224) by [planetundersiege](https://archiveofourown.org/users/planetundersiege/pseuds/planetundersiege). 



> I wrote this in like two hours because I wanted to do a slightly less gutpunchy followup.
> 
> With thanks/apologies to planetundersiege

Adora drew her sword. She’d been recovering for months while staying with Bow’s dads, healing, training, preparing to bring Glimmer down. Why have the Rebellion at all if it was no different from the Horde?

She kicked open the door to the throne room and swatted aside a guard with the flat of her blade. She was only here for one person; the guards hadn’t done anything.

Glimmer’s eyes bulged out of her head at the sight before her.

“Adora?!”

She disappeared in a flash of purple light, and Adora glanced around, knowing that an attack could come from any angle…

Glimmer appeared right in front of her, and before Adora could react, grabbed her and pulled her close. Her muscles tensed to break out…

As her shoulder began to feel wet, she realised Glimmer was weeping.

* * *

“You were right about Shadow Weaver,” said Glimmer simply, her voice ragged, tears pooling in her lilac eyes. “I should never have trusted her, not even for a second. Once she’d wormed her way in, she started…changing me. Twisting my mind, erasing my memories. She took everything you did for me. For the Rebellion…and for…us. Everything. But I can’t blame her for what I did. She dragged me to the edge of the cliff, but I was the one who took that final step. She could take things away, but not add them; that cruelty was always in here somewhere, and she just brought it out.”

Adora studied her coldly. “So when did you realise?”

“Not for months. I think she was wiping me every day; she even made me forget where your cell was, in case I had second thoughts. But then I had to spend several days in Plumeria, and all the memories started to come back. I realised I was the queen who killed the woman she loved – not even in the heat of battle, but coldly. Cruelly.”

“So where’s Shadow Weaver now?”

“In a hole in the ground, if we’re lucky,” spat Glimmer. She reached out to Adora, who flinched away. “I understand. I know you hate me…but you’ll never hate me as much as I hate myself for what I did. I’ll never regret anything more than what I did to you. I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but please, believe me: I’ll never stop trying to earn it.”

“Glimmer…” Adora’s voice was gentle, but there was steel underneath. “I don’t know for sure that I never will, but I’m not ready to yet. The things you said, what you did…”

“I know. And honestly, even the possibility – it’s probably more than I deserve.”

There was a long pause, and then Glimmer said, “So how did you escape?”

“Bow busted me out.”

Glimmer smiled through the tears, and some long-dormant part of Adora’s heart twisted in pain. “Of course he did. When you see him next…please thank him, from me. For saving you from my worst mistakes.”

“All right, Glimmer. I will.”


End file.
